Im provem ent in knitting-machin e n eedles



"To all whomfitmmy concern: i

.im A

PATENT OFFICE.

sAivIuELPEBEEDY, oE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINE NAEEDLES.

l. specificati@ forming pai-t of Leners Patent No. 35,254, dated May/13, 1862.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL PEBERDY, of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement "in` Needles for Knitting-Machines; and Il do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,` and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the` letters of reference marked. thereon. My invention `consists in combining with a barbedneedle of a knittin g-maehine anotched shield or guarduformed'substantially as described hereinafter, so that the said needle may 'form what is known` as ribs on knitted fabrics, the object of' my invention being to dispense with the cumbrous and complex mechanism which has been heretofore used on knitting-machines for edecting the same purpose, and which is not only expensive and liable to become disarranged, but renders the process of knittingtedious In order to enableothers familiar with knitf ting machinery and with the process of knitting to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and the manner in which itoperates.

The accompanying` drawings represent, by

a seriesof `diagrams, the manner in which my improved needle performs its duty when applied to what" isfknown as a straight-frame knitting-machine. I

Figure l is a side view, and Fig. 2v a plan i view, of my improved needles, together with such other parts of astraight-i'rame knittingmachine aswill besufficient to illustrate the action of the said needles, the different parts being inthe pesition they will assumeA after the irst movementtoward the formation of a new stitch. Fig. 3 shows the position of the parts` at the termination `of the second movement; Fig.` 4, a perspective view showing the ,e arrangementof thethreads upon the needles after the third movement; Figs. 5, 6, 7, S, and 9, side views showing the successive changes in the working parts.`

The devices for -operatingthe parts illusi trated are `not shownin the drawings, as they Vare well known to those skilled i-nthis class of machinery; f l

A A are a series of ordinary needles with elastic barbs, andare placed in a row, as usual in machines of the class to which the operate the usual sinkers, T.

following description relates, the needles ben ing permanently secured to the ledge B of the usual needle-bar, and between these needles (Represented by red lines in Fig. 2.) By an uninterrupted row of these needles and sinkers, together with other appliances appertaining to knitting-machines of this class, the ordinary plain fabric is produced; but when a ribbed fabric is required I bring my improved needles D D into play. These needles are arranged on the ledge `E in such a position in respect to each other as the desired width of` the rib maydemand, as many of needles A being removed as will be necessary for forming a space for the ad-` missionof the improved needles, two only of which are shown in the drawings, Figs. 2 and 4.

Between the needles D D operates a sinken S, which is of a form differing somewhat from the sinkers T, but has a movement similar to that imparted to the latter. Each of the needles D consists of two parts-the needle proper and the guard or shield d-the former having in the present instance the usual elastic barb and pawl, needles of this class being technically termec self-acting needles. The shield d consists of a thin plate of metal secured to the b lock from which the needle D projects and occupying a position by the side of this needle, the outer end of the shield being divided by a slot or recess,', into two projections, m and n. (See Fig. l.) The Iirst movement required prior to the formation of a new row ofstitches or loops is the elevation of the Whole of the sinkers to the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the uppermostloops of the vpreviously knitted fabric hanging loosely from the shanks of the needles A and from the barbs of the needles D. The thread to be formed into loops is thrown, as usual,.by the .carrier transversely across the needles in the direction l 2, Fig. 2, and is represented in the drawings by red lines to distinguish it from the fabric previously knitted, the latter being colored blue. After Athe thread has been thus placed across the needles the sinkers are deover the ends of the barbs of the needles D into the slot or opening between the proj ections m and fa of the shields o'r guards CZ. Aftcr`this the sinkers again rise, leaving the threads hanging loosely upon the needles, as bestobserved on reference to Fig. -L The next i two motions only affect the vneedles A, the l ends of their barbs bein g forced down onto the I shanks by the usual presser, X, Fig. 5, which is so constructed as to escape contact with the needles D D. While the barbs ot' the needles A are thus closed the sinkers l move forward, pushing before them the knitted fabric, (see f Fig. (5,) the loops of which slide over the barbs i 'of the needles. The presser is then raised and the old loops slip ott' the ends of the needles and over the loops of thread hangin therefrom, and thus ferm a new row of loops on the needles A. The lower ends of the sinkers are then tilted forward, as seen in Fig. 7, so as to strike the fabric hanging on the needles D and push it back, the loops sliding over the pawl 71y onto the shank of the needle. The sinkers are then brought to a vertical position and depressed, the projection c holding` down the loop of the new thread and the curved edge ot' the projection Z) coming in front of the fabric and pushing it back, the loops closing the pawls and sliding over them onto the tops of the barbs. The sinkers then move back,

drawing the loops of new thread beneath the over the barbs off the ends of the needles and over the loops of new thread, thus forming the upper row of stitches hanging from the needles D. Of the fabric thus produced that formed by the needles D is ribbed and that i formed by the needles A plain. i

barbs and carrying the loops of the fabric It is apparent that any number of ribs of any desired width may be formed on the fabric by simply substituting the needles D with their shields d for the needles A.

rlhe projections m and n of the shield (l serve to guide the new thread and the slot or opening' .fr to maintain the thread in that definite position in respect to the sinkers and needles D, without which it would otherwise lose its place duri ng the movement of the other portions of the work, and thereby spoil the fabric.

Although I have shown by a series of diagrams my improved needle as being' used in connection with the sinkers and pressers of a straight-frame kn ittin g-machi ne, it will be evi- .dent to those familiar with knitting machinery that the needles may be used in connection with whatis known as a warp-machine or a circular machine in which no sinkers are used, the shield' performing precisely the same duty as that described above.

It will also be understood that the shield (Z may be used in connection with common barbed needles having' no pawls 7i.

I claim'as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Combining with a barbed knitting-needle the shield orguard 7L, constructed in the manner described, or any equivalent to the same, so as to guide and retain the thread in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof l have signed myn ame to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

S. PE BERDY.

ll'litnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, J oHN WHITE. 

